Sunday, August 30, 2015

The suspect tossing around a football in lower Highland Park this afternoon. (Photos: NYC Park Advocates)Brooklyn

By Geoffrey Croft

Police are looking for a gun-toting man who threatened park goers in a Brooklyn park this afternoon.

Park patrons were stunned to see several firearms from a man playing football on the soccer field in Highland Park near Jamaica Avenue and Elton Street around noon today.

When the football he was throwing came too close to a woman, her companion asked the man to be careful with the ball. The man responded by lifting up his arms, which exposed a gun in his front belt. He turned around to show another firearm which he was carrying in the back.

A father with his fifteen-year-old son flagged down park enforcement patrol officers who searched the park. They were joined by multiple NYPD patrol cars who canvased the park with negative results.

"It was scary," said a witness.

"We come here with our families and our kids, he should not be carrying weapons. We were very lucky, you never know what could have happened."

The suspect is described as a black male, six feet, approximately 250 pounds.

The suspect, dressed in jeans and black t-shirt, running out of the soccer field.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

The De Blasio administration has elected not to join an appeal by developers over the Willets Point West lawsuit they lost last month. The administration is doing this not in an effort to protect public park land but instead in the hopes of renegotiating better affordable housing terms than the deal struck under Bloomberg the De Blasio administration.

Related Companies and Sterling Equities are looking to build a 1.4 million square foot mall on 48 acres of mapped parkland in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, west of Citi-Field stadium. This represents the largest public parkland giveaway in recent history. The proposed Willets Point West Mall project would allow the seizing of the public parkland to be used exclusively for non-park purposes without first getting State Alienation approval as is required under the law. The construction of such a mall on public parkland would be unprecedented. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

Queens

By Geoffrey Croft

In yet another example of its lack of interest in protecting public parkland the De Blasio administration has declined to support plaintiff's efforts to preserve 48 acres in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

In an effort to renegotiate better terms of a terrible Willets Point affordable housing deal struck under Bloomberg the De Blasio administration has chosen not to join an appeal filed by developers over the Willets Point West lawsuit they lost last month, according to Crain's New York Business.

The court ruled that the project violated the Public Trust Doctrine and prevents any construction on parkland from going forward.

The Queens Development Group - a joint venture between The Related Companies and Sterling Equities, whose owners are New York Met's principle owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, are attempting to build a 1.4 million square foot mall as part of a 48 acre project in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

The proposed mall on parkland however was never part of the original Willets Point development that was approved in 2008. The public land was thrown in to sweeten the deal for developers and was never approved.

According to the article in Crains, it appears the de Blasio administration is looking to renegotiate the timetable for delivery of affordable housing units in the project, among other things. The Willets Point project, located on the other side of Citi-Field involves clearing 24 acres of auto shops and junkyards, installing infrastructure.

Area residents, open space advocates, and business owners have long criticized the deal as a giveaway to private developers.

City Council member, Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, who helped deliver the project for the developers and the Bloomberg administration, has indicated she is open to renegotiating to see if the city can get a better deal.

"We really wanted to see significant improvements that would mean that the public would also see a healthy mix of affordable and market-rate housing, delivered on a real time frame," Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen said in a statement to the publication.

"We know a lot has gone into this project, and we hope that this team will continue to work towards that goal with us."

Protecting parkland however is not part of the goal.

Proposed Nightmare - Willets Point West.

Read More:

De Blasio in stunning about-face on De Blasio Willets Point project
The mayor's decision not to appeal a court ruling threatening the project reveals his attempt to renegotiate terms of the $3 billion redevelopment.Crain's New York Business - August 19, 2015 - By Joe Anuta

Sunday, August 9, 2015

ManhattanTwo teenagers are recovering at the hospital after they were shot overnight in Riverside Park in Manhattan. Police responded to a 911 call of a shooting around 12:27 a.m. Sunday and found a 19-year-old man shot in the leg and a 17-year-old girl shot in the buttocks around 158th Street and the West Side Highway. The shooting followed a dispute, police said. They are searching for a group of men who were seen leaving the location. The victims were taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.Read More:Teens shot in Riverside Park overnight after disputeWPIX - August 9, 2015 - By Julia Jacobo

Friday, August 7, 2015

Brooklyn A Brooklyn man was arrested for touching an underage teen in the water at Manhattan Beach last weekend, NYC Park Advocates has learned.A 15-year-old girl told police she was sexually assaulted by a man who grabbed her private parts underneath her bathing suit while in the water. The teen was transported to Coney Island Hospital.The incident occured on Saturday at approximately 4:40 P.M. in Manhattan Beach Park.

Azamat Mahmudov, 37, of Ocean Avenue was arrested by the NYPD and charged with Forceable Touching, Endangering the Welfair Of A Child, Sexual Abuse, and Harrassment, according to the Brooklyn DA's office.

Bail was set at $2,500 cash or $5,000 bond according to the Brooklyn DA's office.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

The police released a sketch of the suspect wanted in Saturday's attempted robbery of a

31-year-old male on East Drive and East 109 Street at 3:50pm. in Central Park.

The victim said that while sitting on a tree log counting his money the suspect approached him, brandished a knife and demanded money, stating "Let me get that!" The suspect is described as a male black, approximately 30 years old, 6' 00" tall, weighing 180 lbs., wearing a baseball hat, black shorts, a white shirt and white sneakers.

Manhattan

The New York City Police Department is asking the public's assistance identifying the suspect wanted for an attempted robbery within the confines of the Central Park Precinct. Details are as follows:

On Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 1550 hours, police responded to a report of an attempted robbery at East Drive and East 109 Street, with the confines of the Central Park Precinct. Upon arrival, officers were met by the 31 year-old male victim who stated that while sitting on a tree log at the location, counting his money, the suspect approached him, brandished a knife and demanded money, stating "Let me get that!" The victim shouted at the suspect and fled the location. The suspect left the location empty handed. There were no injuries sustained as a result of the incident.

The suspect is described as a male black, approximately 30 years old, 6' 00" tall, weighing 180 lbs., wearing a baseball hat, black shorts, a white shirt and white sneakers.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Lorenzo Devone, 29, (l) and Dwayne Turner, 23 (r), two of the three suspects charged, along with Nashir Whitaker, 19, with robbing a couple early Saturday morning in Central Park. They are due back in court on November 16th. (Photos: William Miller) Manhattan
By Geoffrey Croft

A 21-year-old male and 19-year-old female were siting on a bench in Central Park early Saturday morning when they were suddenly surrounded by a group of five individuals who robbed them of an I-phone and beat up one of the victims according to the police.

Police apprehended four males and a female from Newark N.J. shorty after the victims were able to flag down a patrol car and pointed the suspects out. Three were charged. The incident occured near 60th Street and West Drive at 2:15am.

The incident began when suspect Dwayne Turner, repeatedly touched the female's leg according to the complaint. After she repeatedly told defendant to stop the male she was with pushed defendant Turner away from her at which time, one of the other males struck him in the face with a closed fist which caused his glasses to fall to the ground and causing him substantial pain.The pair attempted to run but the group caught up with them. The female victim was grabbed from behind, her hair pulled, and brought to the ground where she was repeatedly punched and kicked. The assailents tried to pry her fingers from her cellular telephone, bending them backwards so that she would let go of her phone. She sustained bruising to her arms and knees and substantial pain.The male victim was struck in the face with a closed fist multiple times by at least two individuals, resulting in a bleeding laceration to his lip, bruising and swelling to his lip, and substantial pain. The defendants reached into his pockets.

Police charged Dwayne Turner, 23, Nashir Whitker, 19, Lorenzo Devone, 29, with two counts of Robbery in the Second Degree. They are due back in court on November 16th.

The NYPD is asking the public's assistance identifying the suspect wanted for robbing and choking a 53-year-old man unconscious on Thursday night in Central Park. The man told police he was walking through the Ramble area of the park around 10 p.m. when he was attacked by a violent begger who had asked him for money earlier.

The victim was walking through The Ramble area when the creep approached him, saying, "I am hungry. Do you have any money?" near West Drive and the 79th St. Transverse at 10 p.m. on July 30, police said.

The man replied, "No," and walked away but the suspect pursued, slinking up behind him and throwing him in a choke hold until he passed out, according to officials. When the victim came to 20 to 30 minutes later his wallet and backpack - which contained a pair of glasses, set of keys, gift cards, jewelry and cash - were all gone, cops said.

He was treated for injuries at Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital the next day, authorities said.

Police described the suspect as a 35-year-old black man, 5-foot-8 and weighing 160-pounds.

Robberies in the park have nearly doubled so far this year, with 19 reported through July 26, compared to 10 during the same period last year.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline